Real Madrid prepare major bid for Liverpool's Xabi

Real Madrid will launch a major summer raid for Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.
 
Xabi is on a six-man shortlist drawn up by Real president Florentino Perez and new sports director Benito Floro for the summer market. Arsenal fullback Ashley Cole is the other Premiership star in Real's sights, with Christian Poulsen (Schalke), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus), Raul Garcia (Osasuna) and Lukas Podolski (Cologne) making up the Spanish giant's shopping list.

Only last week, former Real sports chief Jorge Valdano admitted he and Perez gaffed in allowing Xabi to slip through their net and join Liverpool from Real Sociedad two years ago - just as they were offloading Claude Makelele to Chelsea.

Perez is determined to make up for lost time and intends to splash out big to bring Xabi back to Spain at the end of this season.